Digital Culture for the 21st Century Vocational Education and Training Erasmus Project

Project Title

Digital Culture for the 21st Century Vocational Education and Training

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Background, context
Interactive multimedia for teaching / learning did not live up to expectations, nor did interactive whiteboards, although they cost a lot of money. The emergence of web 2.0 has made the first change in the use of ICT tools for educational purposes, as it has been offering (literally) thousands of easy-to-use, free applications for practice and demonstration, motivating both teachers and students to learn and to create.

There are many teachers who are happy and enthusiastic about training courses that support their professional development. But when we ask educators one year after attending a course on digital pedagogy about the extent to which they could incorporate what they have learnt into their daily practice, the most optimist answer is 10-15%.

Why?
We cannot blame the lack of infrastructure any more, as most teachers and students have a device with internet connection. But as recent research has revealed, the problem is more complex – a technical device cannot solve anything in itself. An educator who, after a successful training, returns to the teachers’ room at school, equipped with some new digital skills and methodology, often finds her/himself in a vacuum. It is time to realize that it is impossible to integrate technology by individuals into a system as complex as learning and its environment.

Specific problems:
● Lack of monitoring the efficiency and integration of training courses
In-service teacher training is widely available, but most schools and educators enrol to them with the attitude of “let’s get over with it, let’s get the credit,” and there is definitely no follow-up, no organized feedback on utilization or integration.
● Tension between digital challenges and the average age of educators
Online training is common, which is beneficial due to their flexible timing. However, because of the average age of teachers, it would be important to “physically” show them how to use digital tools and applications.
● Isolated pioneers – slow changes
Educators who are open to change are often isolated. Changes are slowed down by the lack of collaboration and knowledge sharing among teachers.
● Lack of institutional efforts to embed digital culture
Visiting each other’s lessons, evaluating them and collecting feedback is not a common practice in schools.

The answer to the problems:

On-site digital pedagogy training supported by institutional intervention.
The project aims to embed the traditional digital pedagogy teacher training program in a broader context by organizing customized school-based contact training sessions, linking it to organizational development components that enhance institutional digital competence and quality culture.

Target group: VET teachers, trainers and managers

Intellectual outputs

The Consortium plans five intellectual outputs, all of them developed in strong collaboration of the partners. All outputs contribute to achieving the final goal of the project: developing a methodology based on multilevel interventions, enabling VET teachers and schools to renew their teaching methods by utilising the potential in digital technology.

IO1: Toolkit for developing Digital Pedagogy Strategy
IO2: Digital Menu Card
IO3: Developing and testing workshops for schools
IO4: ICT-based creative classroom work
IO5: Digital Pedagogy Training Model

We believe our innovative model for intervention could potentially be applied by a wide range of educational institutions (even outside VET context), bringing tangible and lasting changes in digital pedagogy, to the benefit of students.

Project Website

http://vetwork.prompt.hu

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 407911 Eur

Project Coordinator

PROMPT-H Számítástechnikai Oktatási, Kereskedelmi és Szolgáltató Kft. & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Centrul pentru Formarea Continuă în Limba Maghiară
• SZÁMALK-Szalézi Technikum és Szakgimnázium
• Expanzio Human Tanacsado Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag
• UNIVERZA NA PRIMORSKEM UNIVERSITA DEL LITORALE
• Liceul Teologic Romano Catolic Szent Laszlo
• Stredná odborná škola technická a ekonomická Jozefa Szakkayho – Szakkay József Műszaki és Közgazdasági Szakközépiskola, Grešákova 1, Košice
• Közép-magyarországi ASzC Magyar Gyula Kertészeti Technikum és Szakképző Iskola